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POCKET BOOKS, a Simon & Schuster aan of

GULF & WESTERN CORPORATION
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N. Y. 10020

Copyright © 1982 by Publications International, Ltd.

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced or quoted in whole or in
part by mimeograph or any other printed means or for presentation on radio
or television without written permission from:
Louis. Weber, President
Publications International, Ltd.
3841 West Oakton Street
Skokie, Illinois 60076
Permission is never granted for commercial purposes.
ISBN: 0-671-45361-0 | |
Published by arrangement with Publications International, Ltd.

POCKET and colophon are trademarks of Simon & Schuster.

First Pocket Books printing January, 1982

10 - 9 8 7 6 re) a. 3 2 4
Manufactured in the United States of America
Pac-Man is a trademark of Midway Mfg. Co., a Bally Company.
Consumer Guide® and Publications International, Ltd., are not affiliated with and
have no contractual relationship with Midway Mfg. Co., a Bally Company,
authorizing the publication of this book.
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HOW TO WIN AT PAC-MAN will feach you everything you need to
know about the magnificent video game called Pac-Man. Our
experts have been pumping numerous quarters into numerous
Pac-Man machines throughout the country, testing all kinds of
methods to help you build your Pac-Man score. Our research
has led us to one overwhelming conclusion: Pac-Man is, without
a doubt, one of the most ingenious, thoroughly enjoyable games
ever introduced to any public anywhere. If you play the game
regularly, you already know that. If you're just starting to hone
your Pac-Man skills, start reading, and get yourself involved ina
national addiction.
Pac-Man is to video games what the Duesenberg SJ is to auto-
mobiles or the Queen Anne chair to furniture: an undeniable
Classic. We use the word “classic” carefully, but it’s the only
word applicable to Pac-Man’s ingenious design. Aclassic book
can be read over and over again—each time with new under-
standing and increased enjoyment. The same is true with Pac-
Man. It is impossible to
Introduction _ exhaust its infinite de-
| lights and possibilities.
3 HOW TO WIN AT PAC-
MAN is more than an introduction to the game. It is a book
that explains and helps you to understand the intimate nature
of Pac-Man. We'll tell you how to use your own individual talents,
how to design your personal Pac-Man strategy for maximum
point potential. After reading this book and putting its tips and
advice to work at the arcades, you will become, without a
doubt, your own Pac-Man hero—a consistently high scorer.
Since its development in 1980, 250,000 Pac-Man machines
have appeared all over the world. That’s a quarter of a million
machines! And 95,000 of those are in the United States. In fact,
two or three of those machines are probably sitting within walk-
ing distance of your home, right now. After reading this book,
you should get out of your chair and pump a shiny new quarter
into the closest machine. Then put our advice to work.
The basics of Pac-Man are simple. You control one joystick
that moves the Pac-Man through a maze—left or right, up or
down. The trick is learning standard patterns to guide this
Pac-Man through that maze. We offer you three authoritative,
meticulously researched and tested patterns that can be
FoI A Sa ee EOIN RelSe esER DE a Seca RL RUE ies SZ Ae) Oa Re a

3
 learned and put to work in a matter of days. These patterns
will undoubtedly give you high scores. But you may eventually
discover variations in the patterns that work better for you. And
that’s what Pac-Man’s all about! Learn to personalize your
pattern, give it your mark.
The object of the game is, simply, to score as many points as
you can. Eating the small dots inthe maze gives you the minimum
number of points: 10 points per dot. Big points come when you
eat the energizers—the big flashing dots near each corner of
the maze—and then kill the fleeing blue monsters. Each energizer
is worth 50 points. The points for the monsters double as you
eat them during a single blue phase. The first monster is worth
200 points, the second 400, the third 800, and the fourth 1600.
During the first three or four screens of play, it’s fairly easy to kill
all four monsters with each energizer—for a total of 3000 points.
If you kill four monsters at each corner and eat up all the small
dots (240 of them), you gather 14,600 points for each screen.
If you gobble up a few fruits on each screen, you add their
values to the total. The first fruits—cherries—give small bonus
_ points (100 each). Each screen you play gives you different fruits
with increasing point values (strawberry, 300, and peaches,
500, for example). You eventually get to high screens where
there’s no fruit at all, but bonus thunderbirds, bells, and keys
(worth 2000, 3000, and 5000 points, respectively).
It’s a good thing the bonus fruits and prizes are worth more
during the later screens, because it becomes harder and
harder to eat all four monsters with each energizer. Eventually,
you must be satisfied with eating only one—or maybe two—
monsters per energizer. That’s because the monsters stay blue
for such a short period of time as the game progresses. Once
they return to their original colors, they'll kill you. ,
Every bona fide Pac-Man hero develops a love-hate relation-
ship with the monsters. You've got to kill them for points—and
they can kill you—so you hate them. But the monsters are so darn
lovable—each with its own personality—that you can’t help but
feel sorne affection for them.
A formal introduction is in order. Meet the red monster
Shadow, nicknamed “Blinky.” He’s the slyest of the monsters. He
always seems to be on your trail (like a shadow). His buddy,
the pink monster Speedy (nickname: “Pinky’), is the fastest of
Bs ae Sec a WE ae eS i asin Ck Ah ane A NU ShSl aati ee ge a foro ada Sa a
4
 the four monsters. Though not as sly as Shadow, he can actually
outrun you, unlike the other monsters. The light blue monster is
Bashful, and is nicknamed “Inky.” Bashful is the darling of the
monsters. He is so shy that he will actually run away from you if
confronted. Some of us have at times actually run through
Bashful without injury. We’re not quife sure why. The orange
monster is Pokey, nicknamed “Clyde.” He’s an ambitious little
monster—always willing to attack you—but he’s quite slow. You
can usually outrun him.
~ Getting to know the monsters, their personalities and reactions,
is one of the most important aspects of good Pac-Man strategy.
It is most important that you get a good feel for strategy before
the high scores start coming—consistently. But we don’t think
most potential Pac-Man stars are content with a mere rundown
of strategy and technique. So we gave our computer experts a
big (and as far as they were concerned, their best-ever} assign-
ment: solving the mysteries of the Pac-Man machine. You won't
be able to build a Pac-Man mechanism with our data, but you'll
learn to appreciate all the work that goes into this top-notch
video game.
We've also been pumping numerous quarters into every new
video game we could find. The results of that hard work (don't
you pity us!) is a short synopsis of four video games that we feel
most meet rugged Pac-Man standards. If your favorite Pac-Man
machine is booked up, check out one of the four games we
list at the end of this book.
The final page of HOW TO WIN AT PAC-MAN is packed with
some of the best Pac-Man tips you'll find anywhere. With tape
recorder in hand, we interviewed every Pac-Man hero we could
locate. The best of the bunch have been quoted in the back
for your instruction and enjoyment.
Start reading the following pages and begin a new chapter
in your Pac-Man development. Maybe take a few days with this
book by yourself and improve your game. Then challenge your —
friends—or your enemies—to a game. You'll amaze them with
your daring and skill. Happy Pac-ing!
Pac-Man is a game with five basic parts. Get to know these
parts before attempting high strategy. Once you master the
mechanics of the game, the real fun—and the high scores—
will begin.
A. Pac-Man (alias The Pac, Jaws, Yellow Man, and Critter).
Never hesitate moving the Pac-Man. Hesitation can be a more
formidable enemy than the monsters. Courage is one of four
ways to stop hesitation. The other three are practice, practice,
and practice. You'll probably experience those painful Pac-
Man ailments: Pac- Man elbow and Pac-Man blisters. They're
but the price you pay for victory.
B. Monsters (alias Ghosts, Zombies,
Tip One. and Screw-Eyes). Learn the person-
ality of each monster. Speedy, nick-
Elements Of ~ named “Pinky,” is pink, and he’s fast.
The red Shadow, nicknamed “Blinky,”
th e Gam e is always behind you; it’s hard to shake
him. The light blue Bashful, nicknamed
“Inky,” is terribly shy and will actually run away from you. The
orange Pokey, nicknamed “Clyde,” will try his best to get you,
but he’s slow.
C. Energizers (alias Power Points, Killer Pills, Fuel Tanks, and
Vitamins). Make sure at least three monsters are following you
before eating an energizer. You only have four energizers per
screen—use them sparingly for maximum point potential. The
energizers are to Pac-Man what spinach is to Popeye. They
make the Pac-Man powerful enough to kill monsters.
D. The Tunnel (alias The Tube, The Time Warp, and The Scoot).
The monsters always go slower through the tunnel than the Pac-
Man. Use this to your advantage: lure the monsters behind you
through the tunnel. This is the best way to get the monsters off.
your tail. It buys you time.
E. Fruits (alias Big Points, Point Pickers, and Weiners). Fruit makes
for big bonus points. Try your best to get the fruit, but remember:
the monsters know you want that fruit. Lure the monsters away.
The speed of the game varies with the fruit showing. The
progression from slowest to fastest is: cherries, strawberry,
peaches, apples, grapes, thunderbirds, bells, and keys.
 UP HIGHSCORE 2uP
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 It is best to move the Pac-Man by logical and repeatable
patterns in order to achieve the highest scores. The Cherry
Pattern is the first of three patterns. If these patterns are followed
closely, the Pac-Man will safely outwit the monsters.
All the other patterns build on the basic Cherry Pattern just like
most poker games build on five-card draw. Everything moves
slowly in this pattern; monsters stay blue longer after the Pac-Man
has eaten an energizer than they will in subsequent patterns.
Once you memorize the pattern, you'll
be able to relax (many people are
Tip Two: | seen yawning during the first screen).
The toughest part of learning to follow
The Cher FrY a pattern is moving the Pac-Man with-
out hesitation. Certain situations may
Pattern look like certain death. Be brave. Ifyou
run the Pac-Man full throttle around the
corners, you'll outsmart the monsters.
} A. Make absolutely sure to clear the
entire bottom row of dots. There’s no
danger if you do this quickly at the
start. If you miss one dot and have to
return, you'll mess up the pattern. The Pac-Man is more vulner-
able on the bottom row than any other area on the board. The
monsters could conceivably block the four entrances and
— attack. It's a dangerous place. Beware!
B. Three monsters are going to be coming at you here. Don't
hesitate. Be courageous. Make this corner as quickly as possible.
If you hesitate, prepare to meet your fate.
C. Eat this energizer. Then kill the three monsters running from
you. The fourth monster, worth 1600 points, will be heading
toward the bottom of the screen. Chase him and kill him while |
he’s still blue.
D. This is the least predictable part of the pattern. At this point,
you're on your own—with a few tips to go by. Two or three
monsters will be following you. If they continue to follow you,
eat the top right energizer and kill the monsters. If the monsters
stop following you and retreat, clear as many dots on the top
of the screen as possible and head for the energizer on the top
left. The monsters will eventually catch up to you there. Eat the
energizer and kill the monsters.
EOL Ea a a ae aes a ee ee ee

8
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The pace speeds up with the second “Mid-Fruit’ Pattern. This
pattern works for the next three screens. The first will have a
strawberry; the second and third will have peaches. The mon-
sters don't stay blue as long as they did in the first pattern. Point
values for the fruits are up. The tunnel becomes more effective
in this fast-paced game because it slows these monsters down.
A. Clear the bottom row of all dots as in the first pattern, but
retrace your steps quickly before the blue monster attacks.
Follow the pattern indication
at the bottom right.
Tip Thr Ce. B. Again, turning this corner is
critical. Do not hesitate. The
The Mid-Fr. uit monsters are charging faster
than in Pattern One. If you slip,
Patter, i] you're dead. If you're quick,
you'll give them the slip.
C. Eat this energizer and kill
the three monsters. One of them will try to escape through the
tunnel. Don't let him. Grab him before the tunnel and then go to
the bottom and grab the fourth—1600-point—monster while
he’s blue.
D. You're on your own again. The play will be the same here as
in Pattern One. If the monsters keep after you, eat the top right
energizer and kill them. If the monsters retreat, eat the dots on
the top of the screen and make your way toward the top left
energizer. You can meet the monsters there.

Pokey “We were all speeding up in the pattern

trying to scare the Pac-Man. | could tell
his blood pressure was rising when he ate the first ©
energizer and we all turned blue. | made a quick run
for the tunnel and he came after me, but | got away.
His whole pattern was messed up and he got confused
and made mistakes. And they call me Pokey!”

SS
uP “HIGH SCORE BuP
98600 /lisgo0 pao
 The Apple Pattern is the third and final Pac-Man pattern. If
followed faithfully— and without hesitation — you'll successfully
gobble up most of the dots before any monsters are eaten.
What remains after the pattern is completed are the four ener-
gized corners. Play these corners individually for maximum point
potential and downright fun. Remember: The post-apple screens
are fast-paced and the monsters don’t stay blue for very long.
You may be able to eat only one—or perhaps two—monsters
after they've turned blue. Don’t get too
° greedy. Fruits play a big role in these
Tip Four: final screens. Our Apple Pattern
enables you to easily swallow two big-
The Apple _ point fruits per screen.
P,atte rn A. Unlike the previous two patterns, you
clear only half the bottom row of dots,
and then move up as diagramed.
B. Although you have already eaten the dots in this area, make
sure to guide your Pac-Man all the way down to the joint of this
block. Then double back. This decoy will make the monsters
slip right past you. When the coast is clear, you can resume the
pattern. :
C. Two stray dots will remain at this spot. Quickly—and we mean.
quickly—snap up these dots, reverse, and continue up. If you’ve
lagged previously in the pattern, you may not be able to snatch
the dots. If you can do it, do it. It will leave a super-clean board.
D. If a monster is charging from your right at this point, hesitate,
and let the monster scoot under you. That monster will then
devise his own path toward and through the tunnel. Follow him,
but not too closely. If you overtake him, you’re dead. If no
monster is approaching, simply continue the pattern as shown.
E. Go through the tunnel. At this point, 80 percent of the screen
will be cleared of dots. The only remaining dots are conve-
niently positioned around the energizers in the corners. Play
each corner individually. Eat the dots around the energizer,
shake the joystick to lure monsters toward your trap, eat the
energizer, and kill at least one blue monster. Don’t get too greedy.
some screens may let the monsters stay blue longer than others.
Feel this out and plan your offense accordingly.

12 |
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 After Pac-Man developed a dedicated audience in the
arcades—and people started scoring lots of points—Midway
Manufacturing Company introduced a new Pac-Man machine.
This new machine looks the same from the outside, but holds
devious little tricks on the inside. The original patterns dont
work. After the initial shock, it became evident that Midway had
simply switched the order of the patterns. Because both versions
of the game are available, it’s imperative to know which
machine you're playing when you
. ° start. By following the diagrams to the
Tip Fiive: 7 right, you should be able to determine
; which type of machine you’re playing
P.
atter n in a matter of seconds.
rial A. If the light blue monster (Bashful)
Var lations remains in the monster pen as
: shown in diagram A, you're on a 4-2-5
machine. This means the Cherry Pattern is used during the first
screen; the Mid-Fruit Pattern on screens 2, 3, and 4; and the
Apple Pattern from screen 5 until your arm falls off.
B. If Bashful leaves the monster pen, and goes stair-step
fashion down to the bottom right-hand corner, as shown in
diagram B, forget the Cherry Pattern and start the game with the
Mid-Fruit Pattern. The entire machine will follow a 4-3 design,
where the Mid-Fruit Pattern is used on screens 4 and 2, and the
Apple Pattern is used from screen 3 until they pull the plug onyou.
C. If Bashful doesn’t behave as shown in either A or B above,
you're on a variant machine. A serviceman may have put in a
few new monster computer chips to alter the patterns, or you
may be playing on a “bootleg” Pac-Man machine—something
not made by Midway. You can try to devise your own original
patterns for these machines, but by the time they start working
for you, the arcade may change the formula again. Our advice:
Frequent a video arcade that doesn’t change the Pac-Man
programs from the true, classic patterns. We have tested our
patterns on machines across the country, from New York to
Chicago to San Francisco. We have come across only one
machine that didn’t respond properly to our patterns. We believe
that only the classic Pac-Man eon will allow you to truly
hone your Pac-Man skills. |

14
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Whether or not Midway intended it, there’s a secret hiding place
in the Pac-Man maze. This magical spot will keep you safe from
all monsters for as long as you want, but only during the Cherry
and Mid-Fruit Patterns. It does not work during the Apple Pattern.
Suppose you get a phone
call in the middle of a
Tip SIX: game. You dont have to
) ° ye waste coins destined for
The Hiding Pac-Man to call anyone
Place back. You simply slip into
the hiding place, answer
your phone call, and then
resume your game. It’s also a good spot when you're tired or
frantic: take some time to massage your arm, to ge get a snack,
or to simply heave a heavy sigh of relief.
A. Enter the hiding place only when the monsters are looking in
other directions. Be as cautious as Clark Kent entering the phone
booth. Like most hiding places, if you’re seen entering, you'll
surely be found.
B. Once you're in the hiding place, the monsters will begin
darting frantically around the maze trying to find you. Confu-.
sion will force them into repetitive patterns —like hamsters on a
wheel. We stayed in the hiding place for ten minutes; it would
probably keep you safe forever.

Shadow “| didn’t know what to make of it, that

litle yellow guy seemed to have dis-
appeared from the face of the screen. Then all of a
sudden | sensed a movement—that critter shaking in
his hidey-hole. It was none of my buddies so it had to
be him. Yellow Man thought he was invisible so |just
charged right at him. He had no time to bolt. He wasn’t
even moving when | nailed him. After the game, us
monsters decided that the dumb player must’ve
bumped the joystick while Pac-Man was hiding. Other-
wise, we would never have known he was there.”

18
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The tunnel becomes most effective after the Apple Pattern, when
the pace of the game is fastest. It’s useful in two important situa-
tions: when you want to escape the monsters, and when you
want a short-cut fo the opposite side of the board. The monsters
always move slower through the tunnel than the Pac-Man does.
Use this to your advantage. The best way to do this is to lure them
into the tunnel, slow them down, and
gobble up as many dots on your way
Tip Se Vell: out as you can while the monsters are
The Tunnel still coming through the tunnel.
A. Lure the monsters behind you
through the tunnel. This can be done
by jiggling the joystick and waiting for them to follow. Or you
may be in a situation where they're all upon you, closing in for
the kill. Don’t panic; just scoot through the tunnel. —
B. The monsters move through the tunnel slower than the Pac-
Man. You'll get a good jump on them. Wolf down some dots
while they're caught in the time warp.
C. If you have energizers left on the exit side of the tunnel, go for
the nearest one, and then ambush the weary blue monsters as
they exit the tunnel. The four of them may be like sitting ducks.
The ambush only works when the monsters stay blue for a long
period of time, however. Otherwise, they'll turn the tables on you
and make your little trick fatal. If the monsters are turning back
to their natural colors fast, be content with the extra time you get
to eat up dots.

Bashful ‘Pac-Man was luring us all toward

him, but | was kind of tired and stayed
behind. All the others were so excited and making
so much noise that | slipped into the tunnel for some
peace and quiet. | didn’t know that Pac-Man was luring
them into the tunnel on the other side! | met him head-
on and he died. It scared me, but not to death. Maybe
next time | won't be so bashful.”

20
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Fake-outs are the hallmark of good Pac-Man strategy. Although
there are ingenious individual techniques (see the Testimonials
on p. 32), all fake-outs build on two basic concepts: Misdirec-
tion and The Lure. Once these concepts become second
nature, you'll discover your Own per-
Tip Ei ht. sonal variations on the themes. And
gd . that’s what Pac-Man’s all about.
Fake-Outs A. Misdirection. Make the monsters
think you're doing something you're
not. In diagram A, the Pac-Man must
escape the approaching monster in order to consume the top
right energizer. By hooking around the block as shown, all the
monsters believe the Pac-Man is going left, and they readjust
their patterns to intercept him. But by hooking around the block,
you indeed escape the confused monsters. Solid lines show
where the monsters actually go. Dotted lines show where the
monsters would have gone if you hadn't misdirected them.
B. The Lure. Get the monsters to come to you. This basic fake-out -
can be utilized in numerous situations at numerous points on
the screen. The Pac-Man in diagram B is near an energizer, but
wants some monsters nearby before he eats the energizer. If
you shake the joystick back and forth or up and down, the
monsters will locate and attack the Pac-Man. When they get just
close enough to touch, you've got them trapped. Eat the ener-
gizer and kill as many monsters as possible.

Speedy “I may not be that smart, but I’m faster

than anybody. | use my speed to my
advantage. Pac-Man hooked around a block to fake
us guys out, but | guess he underestimated my speed.
When he tried to cut in front of me, | slammed right
into him. Pll take him any way | can get him.”
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— 0006s ©
AREeS
Listed below are the bonus fruits, their point values, and charac-
teristics. We have indicated which patterns to play with the
different fruits and different machines. For a review of the
patterns, see pp. 8-13; for a review of variations in patterns, see
pp. 14-45. Fruits serve as landmarks,
ope orienting you to the speed of the
Tip Nine: screen you're playing. They will
. appear at the bottom of the screen
Flr uIcs throughout the game as a record of
the number of screens you've cleared.
Fruits start with a cherry and end with a key (if you're lucky
enough to get there). Only seven fruits fit along the bottom, so
old fruit, like the cherries and strawberry, disappear to make
room for the thunderbirds, bells, and keys as they come up.
The mark of an expert Pac-Man operator is a long row of keys
at the bottom of the screen.

Screen One: Cherries 400 points/slow-moving screen/

Cherry Pattern on 4-2-5 machines;
Mid-Fruit Pattern on 1-3 machines
Screen Two: Strawberry 300 points/speed accelerates/
Mid-Fruit Pattern on all machines
Screen Three: Peach 500 points/same speed as above/
Mid-Fruit Pattern on 4-2-5 machines/
: Apple Pattern on 1-3 machines
Screen Four: Peach 500 points/speed the same/Mid-
Fruit Pattern on 1-2-5 machines/
Apple Pattern on 4-3 machines

oe © 6000
24
 Screen Five: Apple 700 points/speed fast/monsters
blue for only 2.5 seconds/Apple
Pattern on all machines
Screen Six: Apple 700 points/pace may slow down
somewhat from the first apple/mon-
sters may stay blue longer/Apple
Pattern on all machines
Screen Seven: Grapes 1000 points/fast soeed/monsters
blue for a short period of time/Apple
Pattern on all machines
Screen Eight: Grapes 1000 points/may be slower speed
than the first grape/monsters may
stay blue longer/Apple Pattern on
all machines
Screen Nine: Thunderbird 2000 points/speed fast/Apple Patt:
tern on all machines
Screen Ten: Thunderbird 2000 points/speed may be slower
than the first Thunderbird/monsters
may stay blue longer/Apple Pattern
on all machines
Screen Eleven: Bells 3000 points/speed fast/Apple Pat-
tern on all machines
_ Screen Twelve: Bells same as above —
Screen Thirteen: Keys 5000 points/fastest soeed/Apple
Pattern on all machines
_ All future screens: will display 5000- point keys.

VY VY 44 ..0 0
25
 sb

To be a total Pac-Man player is to utilize all 10 tips to your best

advantage. That means following the patterns to the best of
your ability, knowing which type of machine you're playing on,
making full use of the hiding placeand the tunnel, devising inge-
° nious fake-outs, and get-
Tip Ten: ting the most out of the fruit.
Don't Eat the Our patterns are starting ©
places: good ways to get
Last Dot the feel of the game. You
may devise or stumble
upon different patterns—patterns that work better for you. We
won't take offense. In fact, devising a personal, workable pat-
tern is one of the most satisfying Pac-Man achievements. We'll
make but one demand upon you: Don’t Eat the Last Dot.
A. Eating blue monsters is like eating your vegetables: they're
good for you. And you should finish those vegetables before you
start your dessert—that delicious last dot. If you've ended up
with one energizer and one dot at the end of the screen, be
carefull! If you eat the energizer and unwittingly eat the last dot
on your way toward the blue monsters, the game will stop, a
new screen will appear, and you will have lost all those potential
monster points. You should lure the monsters toward the corner,
eat the energizer, and avoid the last dot while trying to eat as
many blue monsters as you safely can. Then—and only then—
eat the last dot and start a new screen.

Pac -Ma?l “It worked for me every time. I'd leave

an energizer and the dot right next to
it for last. When the Zombies started to zero in on me I'd
eat the energizer, then gobble them up—one-two-
three-four—and then go back for that last dot to finish
the screen 1660 points higher. One time | nailed the
first two Zombies before they knew what hit them but
the third one was beginning to flash when | caught up
with him. | knew my score was close to 100,000 but |
didn’t have time to check. | got greedy and went for the
4600-point fourth monster. He turned back to pink the
last instant before | pounced. | had plenty of time then
to study my final score: 99,990. One dot short. Anybody
gota quarter?” |
LL LE EEL LIS EI PTETE TE
26
 \UP HIGHSCORE 2@UP
— 9qgco Ssco0—s 30
The Pac-Man program is top-secret information. And Pac-Man’s manu-
facturer—Midway Manufacturing Company—guards that secret as if it
were the cure for the common cold. Even Midway's competitors, who
are all doing their best to get a cut of the big video-game money, can't
seem to get it right. We’ve stumbled across a few bootleg machines
that came close to the Pac-Man we know and love, but the action,
colors, and general feel were just not up to snuff. In the end, only Midway
knows the technical engineering of Pac-Man—and they're not talking.
When asked directly, they cordially offered
Pac- M all some general video information that any
, bright grade school student could have
Tech IO] offered. So we decided to put our experts
towork—totryto get a reasonably accurate
picture of what goes on inside Pac-Man.
The Pac-Man machine combines three basic components: a video
screen, an easy-to-use control panel, and a sophisticated logic system.
Various alferations have been made to the basic machine since its
introduction to make the game more challenging (see pp. 14-15). But
the general working concepts have remained the same.
The video screen is similar to a home TV. Aspecial design enables the.
screen to stay bright and clear in a variety of situations—even in areas
with bright lighting. The screen is also made specifically to accept the
computer-generated video images that the Pac-Man’s brain sends out.
Part of the magic of Pac-Man is in its simple control panel. You are
required to move only one joystick (steering rod) to play the game. This
joystick activates a series of switches that send signals to the computer
and cause the Pac (yellow guy, etc. ... you know these terms) to move .
in the direction you’ve moved the joystick. If you push the stick diagonally
—instead of up, down, left, or right—the machine may become con-
fused. This will cost you valuable time—make you hesitate—and could
very easily lead to instant Pac-Man death. :
The heart of the Pac-Man machine, the sophisticated logic system, is
controlled by a series of specialized computer “chips.” Each chip is
individually designed to produce one of the many images—monsters,
fruits, etc.—displayed on the video screen. Achip is a super-small circuit
board made of silicon. If combines the individual transistors, resistors,
diodes, and other necessary electronic components that make the
circuit Operate. These chips connect to a large printed circuit board
that allows the different chips to “talk” with each other. There are chips
that locate and draw Pac-Man, chips that draw the board and maze,
chips that keep score and display fruits, chips to direct the monsters’
movements, and chips that determine if a death has occurred. :
The primary part of the circuit board is a master chip that oversees alll
the other components of the machine. This master chip is called a micro-
sala oc is a ae A aaa Guleindieen ib aianasles aoecinta anal Ria aia a ae RSE aaa as
28
processor. As the name implies, a microprocessor is a tiny computer
that processes information by means of a specified program. The Pac-
Man machine program is designed to make monsters chase Pac-Man,
produce fruit to be eaten, and keep score during the game. But, with a
different set of instructions, the same microprocessor could just as easily
calculate your tax returns or chart your biorhythms. To show how far
electronic technology has progressed, the microprocessor in the Pac-
Man machine does more calculations in one second than early com-
puters could do in several hours.
How do all of these elements work together? Very simply and very
quickly. When you push the joystick forward, the switches signal the
microprocessor to move the Pac-Man up the screen. Nothing moves,
however, until the microprocessor relays your command to the Pac-Man’
chip. The Pac chip actually redraws the Pac at its present position in
black (the background color of the maze), making the Pac-Man dis-
appecr briefly, sets the coordinates for the new position, and draws the
Pac-Man there in yellow. In other words, when you move the Pac-Man,
the Pac-Man chip is actually making him disappear and redrawing
him completely—every 1/30 of asecond!
The microprocessor is also programed to report the new position of
the Pac-Man to the monster computer chip. This monster director then
determines the speed and direction of the Pac-Man, and sends the
monsters to intercept and kill the Pac-Man. The monster chip decides
where to go based on several factors: what the Pac is doing, whether
the fruit is up for grabs, what level of play you're currently at, and how
many dots and energizers you have left on the screen. This all happens
so fast that, to the player, those monsters appear to be moving constantly
with a definite intent to kill!
~ The animated intermissions are also stored in chips that the micro-
processor allows to function when the time is right.
That’s about all there is to the Pac-Man machine, except for the ever-
hungry coin mechanism and some power supplies that convert normal
house current to acceptable computer current. Admittedly, you won't
be able to build a Pac-Man machine with this information. In order to do
that, you’d have to decipher the actual programs. And that’s the secret
Midway Manufacturing Company refuses to divulge (would you?). But
this rundown should shed some light on a subject that most of us don't
take into consideration. And to think that you get all this fun technology
for a quarter (and a quarter and a quarter).
2
Testimonials All people who dare to call
themselves Pac-Man heroes
use personal techniques to achieve high scores. Most people stumble
across these techniques by accident, in the heat of the game. We've
collected a few of the more instructional techniques for your benefit,
and added a few statements on the pleasures of Pac-Man. You should
soon be able to add to this list.

Mike, age 45, Chicago, Illinois (high score: 75,000)

“I try to keep an overall picture of the monsters’ positions inmind at the
same time as concentrating on the area immediately around the Pac-
Man. This usually gives me a little advance warning about where the
monsters are going. But not always! | could play this game all day if |
didn't have to eat.”

Jim, age 26, Nashville, Tennessee (high score: 115,400)

“I sometimes reverse direction just before | eat a killer pill and then turn
back and get it. This is tricky because | usually have a bunch of monsters
on my tail. But the rewards are worth it. When you do this, the monsters
all reverse with you for a second, then come back toward you after you
eat the pill. That way, you don’t run after them, they all come to papa.
Big bonus for small action—that’s what life’s all about, isn’t it?”

Mike W., age 114, Morton Grove, Illinois (high score: 106,240)
“I like it because you have to use your brain—you have to learn which
way they’re going (the monsters) by whichever way their eyes are
pointed. My strategy is to use the tunnel a lot to get away if they're close
behind me.”

Tricia, age 30, Chicago, Illinois (high score: 97,000)

“I like Pac-Man because it’s like a big game of Hide ’n Seek and because
there’s no killing, just eating. | can eat and eat and eat and never gain
any weight! The best part of the game is that no one gets hurt.”

Lin, age 26, Berkeley, California (high score: 106,110)

“As for tips, if you want to get extra points on the lower boards, just
watch closely when the monsters go to all four corners and that’s the
time to go scarf up some fruit and leftover dots. Happy Pac-ing.”

Bobby, age 13, Chicago, Illinois (high score: 65,870)

“The way this machine works is real cool. I’m a pro, you know. That’s my
high score there. (65,870). My dad says | shouldn't play so much, but that's
just because he doesn’t play at all. If he did, he’d know. He’d probably
play more than me because he’s got more quarters. My special trick is
to fly around the outside of the monster cage to confuse them, then |
head for a power dot and chomp a few. Like | said, I’m a pro.”

32
 oy
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 THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE GREATEST THRILLS,
THE MOST FUN, THE HIGHEST SCORES IN
THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR COMPUTER GAME—PAC-MAN!
Whether you play alone or in competition—
you can now come out on top with
the strategies revealed in this book!
| 45361
Learn the most jealously guarded |
secrets of the nation’s top Pac-Man 0
players:

° Elements of the Game 7671400225 |

e High-Score Patterns e Hiding Place
e Fake-Outs e Pattern Variations
ISBN 0O-671-453b61-0
Pac-Man is a trademark of Midway Mfg. Co., a Bally Company.
Consumer Guide® and Publications International, Ltd., are not affiliated with and
have no contractual relationship with Midway Mfg. Co., a Bally Company, G3INIUd
NI
‘WS

authorizing the publication of this book.